


Bittersweet

by hpd_lance



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Bigender Character, Character(s) of Color, F/F, F/M, Idiots in Love, Implied Relationships, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Abuse, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Cheating, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Nonbinary Character, So basically Dave is dead, Some Plot, Sorry Dave for killing you off, There's actually a lot of triggers hahahahahahahahahah oops, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character, Triggers, that, uhh, yeah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-18
Updated: 2015-08-18
Packaged: 2018-04-15 10:23:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4603200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hpd_lance/pseuds/hpd_lance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Your name is John Egbert, and you might be a little not straight. Also, your best friend might be a ghost?<br/>____________</p><p>Your name is Dave Strider, and you're, well, you're dead. That's all there is to it. Your best friend can't even see you!<br/>____________</p><p>Your name is Karkat Vantas, and you are 100% done with any and all bullshit, and that <i>includes</i> ghosts!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. John

September 9th, 2015, 8:47 AM

The grass crunches beneath your feet, dry from the slight chill in the air. You probably should have brought a jacket, now you think about it.  
You walk slowly, avoiding certain patches of grass, rocks, and flowers. You reach your destination, take a deep breath, and sit down.  
"Hey, Dave," You mumble, "Long time, huh?"  
He doesn't respond. You know he won't. You sigh.  
"I just wanted to tell you... I dunno... today would've been the first day of the new school year. I decided to skip it... I dunno, it just wouldn't be the same without you there. So I came here instead of going to school. I know, shitty idea, but fuck it."  
He says nothing. He won't ever say anything, but you don't care. You've missed his voice.  
You look up at the polished granite headstone.  
_Here lies David Strider, beloved son, brother, and best friend. December 3rd, 1995 - June 12th 2015_  
You pat the headstone, then lie down on a patch of grass next to the grave.  
"I've stopped cutting," You turn your head towards the headstone, "That's something you should know."  
You stare for a few minutes at the dying flowers lying on top of the grass. You'll have to get some more soon.  
"I hope you're having fun in Heaven... or Hell, or wherever you went," You say, laying your hand palm-down around where you think his hand would be, "Heh, my hand just got cold... is that you holding my hand? I hope so. That would be nice.  
"I wonder if there's rave parties in Heaven. Are there raves in Heaven? What kind of music do you even play at a Heavenly rave?" You rip up some grass with your hands, then let it float back to the ground, "Have you found Dirk yet? You always said you were going to find Dirk when you... yeah... well, I hope you guys have found each other," You take a staggering breath, fighting back tears, "Part of me wants to join you." You let out a shaky sigh, a tear slipping out of the corner of your eye. You wipe it away quickly, then sit up.  
You're not sure how long you sit there for, but it's a good few hours of just spewing bullshit about how your life is going.  
Finally, you decide it's time you should go, "Good talk." You pat the top of the headstone. Then, sighing, you stand up. You wipe away the tears streaming down your cheeks, and turn back to your car. You pause for a moment, "I miss you." You say, wiping at your eyes, then running back down the hill towards your car.

Your name is John Egbert, and god, do you miss your best friend.


	2. Dave

September 11th, 2015, 12:37 AM

You wish John could see you. For some reason, he can't, though. The only people that can see you are other ghosts, and there are only a few of those in your graveyard. Others went to whatever their version of the afterlife was. Some reincarnated, others went to their version of Heaven, others, like yourself, were floating around as ghosts, aimlessly hovering around. None of them ever left the graveyard, not even you. Apparently, leaving the graveyard made you demented; unless you were attached to a certain person or house. Assigned to haunt a house or a person for the rest of your ghosty life.

How do you get assigned to a person or house, you ask? Well, for houses, either you have to be murdered in the house or commit suicide in the house, but in order to haunt certain people, they have to have murdered you, or convinced you to commit suicide. But that's beside the point.  
The point is, you're bound to this stupid hunk of granite you call a headstone, and if you try to leave the graveyard, there's ghost police that prevent you from leaving.

You guess there are perks to being a ghost. You get to terrify teens with ouija boards and ghost hunters with expensive equipment, and no cuts or bruises to boot? Nice. But not so nice is the fact that your best friend can't even hear you when he comes to visit. He can't feel your presence in the slightest.  
Well, he'd get cold(er). That much you know.

He'd come to visit you yesterday. (Well, technically the day before yesterday, but it's whatever.) The little fucker skipped school because he missed you.

You hear crunching footsteps in the dry grass close by. Weird, it's after midnight, most everyone is asleep. Maybe it's some punks that you can scare the shit out of.  
You hear a sigh, then John's voice. "Hey again Dave."  
"John? It's almost midnight! It's practically freezing! Go to bed!" You say, then remember he can't hear you. You're dead.  
"I know you can't hear me, because... I mean..."  
Of course you can hear him! _He's_ the one who can't hear _you_!  
"And I know, I know, it's late, it's cold, I should be in bed, but I had to finish my homework! And dad wouldn't let me come until I was done.  
But anyway. There's a new kid this year. His name is Karkat," He sighs, almost dreamily, "You'd like him! He's really funny. He _says_ he hates everyone, but I'm determined to befriend him. God knows he needs a friend.  
"Vriska and I started dating again..." You groan, covering your face with your hands. This _idiot_ , "Dad doesn't seem too happy about that, though. Honestly, I think he'd rather me date a _guy_ than Vriska at this point," He laughs, then lays down next to your grave, (you lay next to him, but he doesn't feel that.) "Can you imagine that? _Me_ , dating a _guy_?" You can practically hear him frowning, "Dave? What would you think if I told you I think I might not be... entirely heterosexual."  
You grin, but he, of course, can't see it. He places his hand palm up above where your hand would be. You lace your ghostly fingers with his.  
"Like today? I was talking to Karkat and, wow, he's... hot? For a guy. And this other person, they looked a lot like a mix of you and..... Nepeta? For some reason, and I thought they were hot.  
"And this other guy, I don't know his name, but he was all hipstery? You know him, I think. He hung around Sollux a lot. He was hot.  
"Didn't Sollux have a thing for you, once?"  
You laugh, because, yeah, Sollux had had a thing for you, and you'd dated in secret for a while, until this chick Feferi came along and stole his heart.  
"But yeah. I might not be totally staight? And I- I don't know how to feel. Heh, remember when we were younger, and that guy... what was his name? It was like, Eridan? Or something? Was hitting on me and I was like, 'whoa I am not a homosexual'," He laughs, "Well, past me, you were an idiot."  
You smile softly, and part of you wishes you could actually talk to him. You settle for gently squeezing his hand and hoping he feels it.

"Are you holding my hand somehow? My hand just got really fucking cold," He says, laughing. His hand curls into a fist, "Well, bye Dave. Talk to you... I don't know. Probably not tomorrow. Dad's got, you know, stuff." Then he stands, pats your headstone, just like every time he visits, then leaves.  
You sigh, then lay back down on top of the grass.  
"Love you too." You mumble.

Your name is Dave Strider, and damn, do you wish you could talk to your best friend again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> two chapters in one day??? A MIRACLE


	3. Karkat

October 9th, 2015, 3:59 PM

You trudge through the hallways of your school, keeping your head low, hands in your pockets. Trying to get to your locker so you can grab your shit and leave is basically like trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic setting and everyone is a zombie.  
"Hey! Karkat!" Says a feminine voice behind you, "Heard you're friends with Egdumb now?" Vriska Serket.  
"Yeah," You snap back, "But so what? You're _dating_ him!"  
"Oh, honey, I'm just manipulating him. He's smitten, he'll do what I want," You can feel her winking. God, you hate that bitch. "Although I think I might have some competition," You have no idea what she's talking about. None at all. "You've been eyeing him since day one, haven't you, Vantas?" You spin around, meeting her eyes.  
"Maybe so, but at least I'm not using him as a walking, talking sex toy," You growl, then turn around and _attempt_ to continue walking.  
"Nah, but I bet you want to." She says, just loud enough for you to hear.  
You stop in your tracks, your hands balled into fists. You open your mouth to say something, but John chooses that exact moment to turn the corner in front of you. He sees you, waves, then walks up to Vriska.  
"Hey, babe," Vriska says, and you don't have to turn around to know that she's pulled him into a kiss (possibly a mini make out session), judging by the disgusted sounds of other teens, and someone saying "get a room".  
You clench your fists, then tell yourself to _just keep walking just keep walking don't look back just keep walking_.   
You hear the wet smack of Vriska pulling away, then some giggles from her friends, then John jogs up behind you. "Hey Karkat," He says, smiling down at you (damn that boy for being too fucking tall like dog damn).  
"Hello Egbert. I see you haven't given up on your futile attempt to befriend me." You say, scowling.  
"Nope! I think I'm close to cracking your mean and angry shell. You smiled at me yesterday." He says, ruffling your hair.  
You gently punch him in the arm, "I have no clue what you're talking about; I don't smile, and I _certainly_ don't smile at annoying assholes like you." You try to sound angry, but the corners of your mouth are twitching up. Damn it Egbert.  
And he fucking _giggles_. "I see your little smile there!" He pokes your cheek and blows a raspberry, "I'll befriend you yet, Karkat Vantas!"  
"You wish," You say, rolling your eyes. He laughs (why is his laugh so beautiful, gog damn), then runs off, presumably to one of his after school programs that you're not in.  
You groan, then turn towards the nearest locker and start banging your head against it. "Stupid. Stupid. Dumb. Damn it."  
"That's my locker." Says a voice next to you.  
You look up. It's Kanaya. "Hi, Kanaya, sorry, yeah."  
"Boy troubles?" She asks, opening her locker and grabbing her coat.  
"You know it." You reply, walking with her further down the hall to your own locker.  
"John?" She asks, tugging her coat over her shoulders.  
"Yeah." You reply, grabbing your own coat out of your locker and pulling it on. Damn this cold and rainy Seattle Autumn.  
"Has he asked you out yet?" She asks, slipping on her gloves.  
"Hell no! His stupid fucking girlfriend has him wrapped around her little finger." You say, crossing your arms over your chest. You really need to get home so you can take off your binder and actually fucking breathe.  
"Are you breathing alright?" Asks Kanaya, probably reading your mind, "Also, you could use another hair cut, it's getting kind of long, don't you think?" She frowns, tilting her head slightly sideways, then tucking your bangs behind your ears.  
You bat her hands away, untucking your hair, then ruffling it up by running your fingers through it. She sighs, shaking her head, "You're hopeless." She says, heading for the door.  
You roll your eyes, crossing your arms.

Your name is Karkat Vantas, and you're just ready to go home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh hey 3rd chapter!! :D
> 
> sorry these are so short peeps, I'm terrible at anything longer

**Author's Note:**

> oops I started writing another thing


End file.
